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With some thoughtful planning and easy-to-do decor, you can transform your family's backyard into a gorgeous setting for a casually elegant wedding ceremony and reception.At-Home WeddingsLooking for the ideal location to say "I do"? Look no farther than your own backyard. Whether you choose to wed in the garden of your childhood home or on the back lawn of the house you and your groom will call your own, a backyard can be a lovely place to exchange vows. After all, what could be a sweeter send-off into married life than a family-centered celebration that unfolds in a place with such special meaning? White fencing from a home improvement store can divide the ceremony and reception site. Bear in mind, though, that an at-home wedding comes with its own set of challenges. You may need to rent tables, chairs, dishes, glassware, silverware, and linens. You'll also want your guests to have sufficient parking and restroom facilities. And unless you have an exceptionally large outdoor space and plan to hire plenty of professional help, it's best to keep to an intimate guest list for your homegrown celebration. In Love with Lavender A backyard wedding is an opportunity to showcase gorgeous landscapes or inspiring views, so allow your outdoor environment to take center stage by keeping a simple color scheme for your decor. In this case, crisp white combines with rich green and panoply of purples to create a fresh palette that capitalizes on a velvety lawn and abundant trees. The result: a wedding venue that evokes the carefree spirit of running barefoot through the grass with the sophisticated ambience of a stylish garden party. While Mother Nature provides the basics, yards of fabric and ribbon transform this backyard into a setting worthy of a once-in-a-lifetime event. Lavender satin and shepherd's hooks combine to create fabric backdrops for the ceremony and the cake table. Throughout the backyard, urns and vases holding garden roses, sweet peas, blue curiosa, hydrangeas, and bells of Ireland create a look that florist Catherine Conlin of Wiggy Flowers in San Francisco describes as "vintage romance."Setting the StageWhen converting your backyard into a wedding site, think about dividing the space into two separate areas: one for the ceremony and another for the reception. This way, guests don't feel as if they're in the same place all day. Options for dividing your yard include installing a fence or trellis, adding rows of flower- or plant-filled urns, or stringing ribbons between shepherd's hooks, which can be purchased at home and garden stores and spray-painted white. Tie the distinct ceremony and reception spaces together with complementary decor and a unifying color scheme. The fresh white linens of this ceremony are repeated at the reception tables, and the purple fabric aisle runner and flowers echo the floral arrangements and fabric backdrops in the dining area. With a party venue this pretty, you just may start a new family tradition by turning your backyard into a sought-after wedding location! Concerns to Keep in Mind· Weather. No matter how carefully you plan, you can't control Mother Nature. Your best defense against bad weather is a well-thought-out backup plan. "It's best to have an inside space that you can move to, if necessary, If that isn't an option, rent tents, heaters, or fans from a party store. Another word of advice: Scope out your wedding spot on a rainy day to see where water pools and if mud develops. Even if you have a tent, you'll want to steer clear of these problem areas on the big day. · Neighbors. Give those who live nearby a heads-up about your wedding day so they won't be surprised by the extra activity and noise. Thoughtful neighbors will do whatever they can -- from offering up their driveways for parking to keeping barking dogs inside for the day -- to make your event run smoothly. · Parking. Depending on the size of your guest list, you may need to make some special parking arrangements. Some ideas: Hire a valet service to park guests' cars or arrange for a shuttle bus (or a good friend with a large car) to transport guests from a prearranged parking area such as a nearby school or church. Be sure to get permission from the parking lot's owners in advance. · Restrooms. The number of guests you're hosting will determine whether your home's bathroom facilities are adequate or whether you need to rent portable restrooms. "Generally, you'll need one bathroom for every 25 guests," Caldara says. After all, no one wants to spend precious party minutes queued up to use the restroom. · Your Home. Prepare for the big day with the tips below. Your home and its surroundings will be on display on your wedding day. Prepare to host your friends and family both safely and beautifully with these tips. · Make sure your lawn and landscaping are in tip-top shape. Consider hiring a lawn service to tend to the grass and landscapers to clean up trees and shrubs as needed. · Clean your house until it's spotless, even if it means hiring a maid service. Though you plan to hold the wedding outside, people may head indoors to use restrooms or to escape bad weather. Stock the bathrooms with lots of hand towels; fancy soaps are a nice way to embellish an essential. · Lock away valuables that could be lost or damaged in the excitement of the big day. Various vendors and guests may trek in and out of the house, so leave nothing to chance. Also, designate a safe spot for wedding gifts. · Walk your property to look for hazards such as large holes in the ground, rickety outdoor steps, or protruding tree roots that could trip guests. Address these problems in advance of the wedding. Dressing Up Your Back YardAssigned SeatingPotted escort cards are a charming alternative to traditional tented cards, and they continue the wedding's garden theme. Print the "Please Take a Seat" sign and individual cards on scrap booking paper using a home computer. To create the folders, wrap the end of a thin piece of wire around a pencil twice to make a small clip for the paper. Insert the other end of the wire into florist's foam hidden by a generous arrangement of purple roses. Schedule of EventsA simple plum platter holds handmade ceremony programs. The booklets are held together by tying purple ribbons at the bottom of the pages. For extra drama, let the ribbons trail, and hot-glue a small sprig of silk flowers near the knot. Strike a romantic note by inscribing the program covers with a meaningful quote. From the Ground UpFolding chairs dressed in fabric covers and tied up with purple sashes await guests on a blanket of velvety green grass. An orchid-hue aisle runner complements the fabric backdrop where the bride and groom will exchange vows. To make the backdrop, insert shepherd's hooks into rod pockets sewn into two sides of the purple satin fabric. Use a mallet to secure the hooks into the ground. On the FenceAn urn overflowing with garden roses, blue curiosa, hydrangea, and bells of Ireland greets guests as they enter the reception area. The flower arrangement sits atop a fence designed to separate the ceremony and reception areas. The fence was constructed from 6-x-6-inch posts and iron fencing, which can be found at home-improvement stores. Purple RosesWhen choosing a bouquet, many brides opt for a simple, natural-looking cluster of ribbon-tied blooms, Here, purple roses add depth and interest. To get this look, gather stems and cover the bundle of stems with decorative paper. You can hot-glue four satin ribbons to the paper at the base of the flower stems. Knot the ribbons together at the base of the handle and snip the ends on a diagonal for a finished look.More DecorHang in ThereInexpensive glass vases can be turned into delightful containers for roses and sweet peas. Tape strips of scrap booking paper to the vase. Weave ribbons between the strips; hot-glue in place. Hang the arrangements from shepherd's hooks or tree branches. Table TalkAt an intimate party such as this, it's nice to seat guests at two or three long, rectangular tables rather than dividing them at several smaller tables. Personal TouchSitting daintily atop lavender transfer ware, small green-and-white boxes serve as wedding favors and place cards. Cover craft boxes in scrap booking paper, and top with silk flowers and a sliver of coordinated paper with the guest's name. Dog DaysA few lengths of ribbon, a small purple ring pouch, and a coordinating bud make this properly dressed pup a bride's best friend. While he makes an adorable ring bearer, be safe -- give the pooch plastic rings and have the best man hold the real rings until the officiant requests them. Food and CakeTo the CoupleA vintage cart is the ideal place to set out drinks for a toast. A ribbon-bedecked urn is a delightful holder for a bottle of bubbly on ice. Cut circles from scrap booking paper and attach around the base of each flute as a place for guests to write their names. Movable FeastMark the spot for a bountiful buffet with chic fabric backdrops. Wide purple ribbons, which mimic the three backdrops, add just a hint of ornamentation to the crisp white tablecloth. Add a selection of serving plates on pedestals to raise the glamour quotient and make the dishes easier for guests to reach. Dazzling DisplayTurn an ordinary urn into a stylish vessel worthy of this eye-catching display of breads. Glue bands of ribbon around the center, alternating dark and light. Sprigs of food-safe greenery tucked between the rolls fill in gaps in the arrangement and help maintain the green-and-lavender color scheme. Display Italian-Style Deviled Eggs on a cake stand and dish up Fontina-Melon Salad and Sandwich-Salad Sampler on purple-and-white china platters and bowls of varying shapes and sizes. The serving pieces needn't be part of a matched set; in fact, it's far more interesting if they aren't. Dish It OutTempting dishes await guests after the ceremony. For a simple spread, select foods, such as Mushroom-Filled Phyllo Logs, that can be served at room temperature. Thing of BeautyCharming dotted cakes take a place of honor on a petal-drenched table. Elevating cakes on stands of varying heights is an easy way to create a dramatic presentation and a fun twist on the classic tiered look. Use stands collected from your family's cupboards, or peruse antiques shops and tag sales for inexpensive pieces. Adding a silky purple backdrop, buckets of blossoms, and a generous sprinkling of purple rose petals creates a gorgeous setting for the cake-cutting photos. To the LetterCakes with coconut-cream filling go from sweet to sublime with the addition of the bride and groom's initials displayed atop each cake. Craft your monogram from bent wire. Leave a loop at the bottom of each letter to insert into the cake, and hot-glue fresh or silk flowers onto the wire form.
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Note: All prices in US Dollars
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